Updates

DSDC Gold Standard Accreditation for Gaynes Park Manor

Published: 19 Dec 2018

Gaynes Park Manor, a Life Care Residential Care Home in Joslin, South Australia, has now received the coveted Gold Standard Accreditation from the Dementia Services Development Centre (DSDC), part of Stirling University in the UK.

The Gold Standard represents DSDC’s highest possible achievement in dementia design. Gaynes Park Manor is the first recipient of this accreditation in the Southern Hemisphere, something that again confirms Gaynes Park Manor as one of, if not the premier Residential Care Home in Australia. This accreditation brings to four the number of national and international awards for Gaynes Park Manor.

For people living with dementia at Gaynes Park Manor, this accreditation is perhaps not of great significance. However, what is significant is the experience that they have each day as a result of Gaynes Park Manor’s industry-leading design. To understand just how significant a difference this design (and the accompanying model of care) makes, it is worth considering how the design of traditional ‘nursing homes’ compares with Gaynes Park Manor.

Traditional nursing homes do not feature Call Assist: Life Care’s Southern Hemisphere-first mobile call system (the system can also found at one other Life Care home, and we aim to introduce it to every Life Care site over the coming years). Without Call Assist, people living with dementia require a secure area from which they cannot wander. Call Assist removes the need for such secure areas. Instead, the system uses Real Time Location (showing each person’s exact location on a live digital map) and ‘virtual boundaries’ to locate people and to trigger an alert to staff mobile phones when someone crosses into another area. In this way, people with dementia are free to roam as they wish, inside or within the secure outside area, without any risk of straying into unsafe spaces. This freedom positively promotes autonomy, choice, and independence.

Traditional nursing homes also do not feature the unique ‘House Model’ featured at Gaynes Park Manor. This model of care sees people grouped into small ‘communities’ or groups of around 16 people. Each ‘house’ has its own theme which influences the visual elements, finishes and overall style of the house. The themes provide subtle but important visual cues that enable people living with dementia to identify where they were, building confidence and security. The smaller size of these groups (when compared to traditional nursing homes) creates a calm feel and limits overstimulation, surrounding people with familiar faces, promoting wellbeing. Each house also features its own kitchen where people are free to make snacks or cups or tea or coffee as they wish. The House Model also operates at one other Life Care home, and we have plans to introduce to other homes in the future.

This accreditation is further that Life Care’s commitment to innovation focuses purely on areas that benefit the people whom we support. Gaynes Park Manor is a shining example of how our many innovations have come together to provide the best possible experience for those who are fortunate to call Gaynes Park Manor home.